Hello folks, I bought my 748 2 years ago and haven't riddin it 20 yrds! Bought her from eBay and she looked mint in the photos, 7k miles, got her couriered over to N.Ireland and then seen the shitty flaky engine paint hiding behind the fairings, pushed her into the shed and took the engine out the next day! I spent a lot of time stripping back to the the bare aluminium and degreasing ect, I reckon there was at least 40hrs prep before painting, I was recommended simoniz engine enamel so went with that, a few coats of etch primer and a couple of coats of the simoniz enamel. It looked fantastic, I done the casings with a 2k and put all back together, new slipper clutch and complete engine bolt kit, got the water out lets sand blasted and put on new silicone hose kit. I noticed a little mark on the rear of the engine one day and lifted a rag to give it a rub, there was nothing on the rag but the silver paint was rubbing off! The engine has sat on the engine stand ever since! I dont know weather to start again and remove everything back to the bare metal and try a different paint or hope that the paint will heat cure once the engine has run. Has anyone else any experience with the simoniz engine enamel? Does it cure once heated? Will it withstand a petrol spill? Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance.
Don't know anything about the engine paint...............but I can tell you that the Simoniz Sperex VHT paint is nowhere near as good as the original Sperex. It will rub off and is not spirit or petrol resistant even when cured.... Neither is Hycote VHT....it is worse than Simoniz VHT
I used silver HT engine paint (forget the brand) years ago on my old Supersport casings and regretted it after a few rides. It never cured properly - probably didn't get anywhere near hot enough. I might as well have used a silver felt tip pen. In the end I rubbed off all I could and went for the bare ally look.
All modern paint is useless - I have been trying to get a decent black finish on various bits for an old British bike restoration project but all the paints that I used to use have been reformulated and it seems to be impossible to find anything that attains a decent level of hardness.
Try this...........I did my barrels with it about four years ago.........Still OK. Granville 0060A 250ml Paint Cylinder - Black: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike
You could try International yacht paint, such as this two-pack polyurethane type. Mix the two packs together and apply it quickly; it hardens to a really tough, salt-resistant finish. Limited range of colours though. Perfection Topside Paint | International
I used Simoniz on my engine about 3 years ago now and it has been very good, i did have a fuel drip for a while which left a small stain but otherwise i can't fault it. As you did i gave two coats of etch primer first and then a few coats of Simoniz, left it to dry and then a few coats of wax polish. Perhaps the heat from running the engine has helped harden it off. Steve
I am in the process of getting my wife's Monster engine re-painted. I quickly came to the conclusion that there are few if any paints that can be applied to a complete engine that will stand the test of time. Having gone to the extent of stripping the bike down anyway, have decided to split the engine down the bare cases, barrels, heads and side covers. They are going off next week to be professionally painted and heat cured, hence all bearings, seals and bushes need to come out. The paint in use is a high temp DuPont coating with an initial acid etch primer, folllowed by an epoxy base layer then top coat. They have done several engines before and the finish is resistant to fuel, oil etc. The cases and side covers will be either soda blasted or glass media blasted as appropriate. Any oil galleries will be blocked off. Hopefully the engine should come back as good as or hopefully better than new.
You'll be able to leave her moored on the beach at low tide with complete confidence then, @Topolino .
Not sure I'd want to tempt fate, but at least I won't have to stare at the God awful aluminium snow on the engine cases any more. If only Ducati would acid etch prime aluminium parts before painting, then it might not flake off at the merest hint of moisture.
Thanks for the replies, I've considered using the standard 2k that you would paint a car with, its not heat VHT but I'm wondering if it could stick the heat of and engine? I'm thinking a black car in a real hot sunny country is bound to get to an untouchable temperature and they aren't painted with VHT???????
Might I suggest xylan.... A specialist coating used for oil rig applications primarily... Resistant to everything. Needs to be applied professionally.... Used it on my supermoto engine.... I will be using it again when my hyper's motor needs to come out.... The engine has to be stripped to the crankcases first though.
Here's the motor before..... Here it is after.... I don't have the name of the company to hand but it has to be sent away.... The lad that does it races a sidecar so loves his work.... Its available in the usual colours.... That cost 600 quid but nothing will lift it...
Found the place..... Sandwell Shot Peening & Specialist Xylan Coatings I only found out about them from my mate who has all his engines done there his last one was in pb last year (xr69) Really nice bloke.... Most of the cost comes from the preparation. Mine cost as much as a gsx1000 motor as it was more complicated.... As i say.... When my next hyper needs to come apart that's where it's going.... It'll be a revelation to own a ducati engine that won't peel when it gets slightly cloudy...
